Another Delhi rape: Uber driver arrested, but post-Nirbhaya city still unsafe

The police have arrested the Uber cab’s driver Shiv Kumar Yadav from Mathura on Sunday, who allegedly raped the woman, while on way from Vasant Vihar to Inderlok, north of Delhi. According to a government source, considering the forthcoming Delhi election, the MHA has ensured a fast action on this case to avoid any outcry similar to that happened after December 16. “If any public outcry or agitation takes place, it’ll go in favour of opposition parties. So, the government is extra cautious and wanted fast action in this case,” the source added. But in the matter of sexual violence against women, little has changed since the 16 December, 2012 gangrape. Delhi continues to be the happy hunting ground for sexual predators and unsafe for women. The alleged rape of a 27-year old executive by a private cab driver on Friday night has again highlights the fact that the city must go beyond tokenism and empty gestures (remember the candle light vigil and outrage on the streets in 2012?) while dealing with women’s issues in the national capital. [caption id=“attachment_1838897” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Protests after the rape. PTI image[/caption] The unprecedented public outcry over the incident two years ago led to the enactment of a tough law to deal with sexual assault on women. The wisdom on the street, and in Parliament, was it would serve as a deterrent. The continuing cases of rape or attempt to rape are proof enough that it hasn’t. The city must think better. Activists, social organizations and political outfits have listed several reasons for the continuing rape cases in Delhi: - Lack of a strong political will to deal with the issue. - Poor civic infrastructure like lack of street lights and communication facilities. - Improper monitoring by government agencies concerned like road transport department etc. - Private cabs flouting mandatory norms like installation of GPS tracker, proper identification of drivers etc. - Inadequate public transport, unsafe public buses and cabs. - Short-staffed police force; no home guards for additional security for citizens, delay in trials, poor conviction rate. - PCR vans and police surveillance concentrated mostly to central Delhi, its surroundings and VIP zones. The outskirts and far-flung areas of the city remain unsafe, with no immediate access to police. But who’s going to ensure that these are addressed? And where is the public demand for measures that actually help? In the present case, the fault lies entirely with the taxi service provider. According to Delhi police, the US-based online taxi service - Uber Cab recently launched its low-cost cab service. But, the company didn’t do the mandatory police verification and background check of the driver. The driver didn’t have a bonafide driving licence. There was no GPS tracker in the cab, which is mandatory. The company has displayed gross negligence in its functioning. But, how a service provider was allowed to go-ahead with such a shabby job? That brings in other questions. “There’s so much callousness on the part of the government machinery that an international cab service company could flout norms set by the government. How could they do it and who would be accountable for this mishap?” questioned national vice president, All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA), Sudha Sundararaman. She added, “Despite the massive hullabaloo after the December 16 gangrape case and the government assuring women’s safety, the working women from private and unorganized sectors who travel alone by public transport continue to be vulnerable. The rape cases should be dealt by fast-track courts and, stringent and exemplary punishment should be awarded. At present, the rate of conviction is very low.” The absence of a stable government in Delhi has also been stated as one of the many reasons for the occurrence of such crimes. In the absence of a government, the capital is being governed by the Lieutenant Governor. But that argument doesn’t cut much ice. The 16 December gangrape took place while the Sheila Dikshit government was in power. “As Delhi is under L-G’s rule, no one is ready to take any responsibility. There’s a problem of political will to tackle this menace. No serious efforts have been made yet by any government for women’s safety. During its short stint in power, the AAP had demanded that Delhi police should be under the state, rather than controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs. During our short stint, we had prepared a concrete plan for women’s security, which unfortunately couldn’t be implemented. There’s a need for strengthening the law and order system, have new courts for speedy trials,” said AAP member and spokesperson, Atishi Marlena. The AAP came to power assuring women’s safety and now looking for a comeback, has announced a slew of measures for the women through its new initiative ‘Delhi Dialogue’ that the party wants to implement, if they get to form the government. “What about the government that repeatedly fails to ensure safety of women? Why can’t we get more DTC buses and why can’t the government pay and groom its staff to ensure safety of passengers? Women are forced to rely on private cabs due to the failure of public transport,” said India Progressive Women’s Association’s activist, Kavita Krishnan. The lack of police personnel on the streets has always been a problem in Delhi. With a good number of personnel of the already short-staffed police force busy ensuring that the VIPs remain safe in the city, the ordinary person has to bear the brunt of criminals. A report of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) shows a staggering deployment of police personnel for security duties rather than basic tasks like making the nation’s streets safer. It is hardly surprising that police forces remain overworked and understaffed. In Delhi, there is one cop for 253 people. The efficiency of the city police is impacted with a dozen police personnel guarding each of the VIPs. “Delhi is not just a national capital, but also aspiring to be a world city. But it doesn’t have a proper system in place when it comes to safety and security of its citizens, especially women. Despite having rules in place, implementation and monitoring are very poor," a retired senior police official said on condition of anonymity. “Major part of the police force in Delhi is deployed on VIP security and the rest gets engaged in managing rallies and big events. Police are helpless; they face obstacles, while taking action in many cases as there are inferences from politicians or bureaucrats. So, who’ll take care of the common citizen?” he questioned. For all the hue and cry over change, Delhi continues to remain incorrigibily the same